Before engaging in a detailed analysis of Fresno PD patrol activity as outlined in the research plan, we created this descriptive analysis to explore overall trends in the Fresno RIPA data. This helps us determine if our expected findings are likely to show up in the data and allows us to identify any trends we did not expect. We include basic tallies on each of the following:

Overview of officer-initiated stops and calls for service
Demographics of people stopped by Fresno PD
A deep dive into traffic stops
Results of officer-initiated stops
Time spent on different types of stops

Stops overview

Officer-initiated stops versus calls for service

In 2022, there were a total of 5,317 police stops made by Fresno PD. Of those stops, 5,028 were officer-initiated stops and 289 were calls for service.

In 2022, 94.6% of Fresno Police Department stops were officer initiated stops while only 5.4% of stops were calls for service.

People stopped for officer-initiated stops

In 2022, Fresno PD stopped a total of 5,060 people through officer-initiated stops.

Demographics

Perceived race of people stopped

Fresno PD mostly stops people they perceive Latinx during officer-initiated stops. Over half of people stopped during these encounters are Latinx. For reference, about 50.5% of Fresno City’s population is Latinx. As a comparison, 11.3% of people they stopped Fresno PD perceived as Black while the Fresno City’s population only comprises of 6.2% Black people.

Perceived age of people stopped

Individuals aged 25-34 experienced the highest numbers of officer-initiated stops by Fresno PD in the year 2022.

Perceived gender of people stopped

In 2022, people identified as men (males) accounted for nearly 57% of officer-initiated stops by Fresno PD.

Perceived race and age group

In all age groups except for 55-64 and 65 and older, Latinx individuals make up nearly 50% or more of the officer-initiated stops by Fresno PD. For reference, generally Latinx individuals make up 50.5% of the Fresno population. By comparison, Black individuals make up 6.2% of the Fresno population and SWANA/SA individuals 6.1%. In most age groups, Black individuals make up a higher percent of Fresno PD’s officer-initiated stops, beyond their general share of the Fresno population.

In 2022, White individuals within the age groups of 55-64 and 65 and older were the most frequently stopped during officer-initiated stops by Fresno PD. White individuals may make up a higher share of the population in these age groups in Fresno. Generally, White individuals make up 25.4% of the Fresno population.

Perceived age by race and gender

In 2022, people perceived as men (males) were the most frequently stopped group across most age and race combinations. Latinx men ages 18-34, followed by Latinx women ages 25-34, had the highest number of stops by Fresno PD during officer-initiated stops.

In 2022, Latinx men ages 17 and under comprised more than 40% of people stopped under the age of 17. Similarly, Latinx men ages 18-24 made up about 37% of people stopped between the ages of 18-24.

Stop Reasons

The following explores the most common reasons for officer-initiated stops in 2022. Traffic violations are the overwhelming majority of officer-initiated stops that Fresno PD made in 2022, exceeding more than what is seen in other police jurisdictions in California. For this reason, we explore traffic stops more in depth as its own section.

Officer-initiated stops by stop reason

The Fresno Police Department makes an overwhelming majority of their officer-initiated stops for traffic violations. In 2022, Over 99% of people stopped by Fresno PD officers were stopped due to a perceived traffic violation.

Reasons for Officer-Initiated Stops by Fresno PD (2022)
Reported Stop Reason	# of People Stopped	% of All People Stopped
Traffic violation	5,023	99.27%
Reasonable suspicion	21	0.42%
Knowledge of outstanding arrest/wanted person	9	0.18%
Consensual encounter resulting in search	4	0.08%
Parole/probation/PRCS/ mandatory supervision	3	0.06%

Traffic Stops

This section dives deeper into officer-initiated traffic stops made by Fresno PD in 2022, given that traffic stops make up the overwhelming majority of all stops that Fresno PD made in that year.

Over-all traffic stops by race and gender

People perceived as Black by Fresno PD are stopped in traffic at disproportionately high rates relative to the total Black population in Fresno city.

Within traffic stops of each perceived racial group, those who Fresno PD perceived as male are stopped in traffic at higher rates than those Fresno PD perceived as female across all BIPOC groups. The gender disparity in traffic stops is highest for individuals perceived SWANA/SA, with individuals perceived as male and SWANA/SA being stopped a much higher rate than individuals perceived as female and SWANA/SA.

Note that the graph below filters for perceived racial groups that had 10 or more people stopped for an officer-initiated traffic stop in 2022.

Traffic stops by stop-type

Fresno PD made close to 4,000 traffic stops of moving vehicles in 2022, which represented more than three-quarters of their total stops for traffic violations. Of the other quarter of vehicles that were stopped, 15% were stopped for equipment violations, while 8% were stopped for non-moving violations.

Traffic stops by stop reason

This analysis focuses the stop reasons specifically for equipment/non-moving traffic stops. Over 50% of the non-moving or equipment-related traffic stops made by Fresno PD in 2022 were initiated for vehicles with obstructed windows or improper registration.

Reasons for Equipment and Non-moving Traffic Stops by Fresno PD (2022)
Traffic Violation	# of Times Recorded	% of Total Equipment/Non-moving Traffic Stops
Obstructed window/mirrors	359	31.30%
Unregistered vehicle	292	25.46%
License plates improperly displayed	58	5.06%
Unregistered vehicle in public parking facility	57	4.97%
Improper vehicle lighting	54	4.71%
Expired registration	51	4.45%
Inadequate mufflers	40	3.49%
Improper bicycle lighting	39	3.40%
License plate not illuminated	24	2.09%
Driving without headlights	20	1.74%

Traffic stop reasons by race and gender

Within traffic stops that were made by Fresno PD, the most common cited reason is driving at an unsafe speed. However, people perceived as Black and Latinx are stopped in traffoc for a reason of ‘No vehicle registration’ at higher rates compared to other groups. This is noteworthy as vehicle registration, or lacktherof, does not advance public safety. Traffic stops made for these type of reasons may indicate that profiling is occurring.

Note that the graphs below filter out perceived racial groups where less than 10 people wree stopped in traffic by Fresno PD in 2022.

Traffic stops made for driving without license citation

The Fresno Police Department only stopped 9 people in 2022 for driving without a license.

Equipment traffic stop reasons

The table below shows the ten most common stop reasons for equipment traffic stops.

Reasons for Equipment Traffic Stops by Fresno PD (2022)
Traffic Violation	# of Times Recorded	% of Total Equipment Traffic Stops
OPR VEH:WINDOW OBSTRUCTED	331	44.67%
FAIL MAINT VEH LITE EQUIP	54	7.29%
DISPLAY LIC PLATES WRONG	54	7.29%
INADEQUATE MUFFLERS	39	5.26%
BIKE HEADLIGHT/ETC VIOL	39	5.26%
EXPIRED TABS/FAIL DISPLAY	27	3.64%
NO REG:VEH/TRAILER/ETC	26	3.51%
FAIL MAINT LIC PLATE LAMP	24	3.24%
NO REG:VEH/TRAILER/ETC	21	2.83%
DRIVE WITHOUT LIGHTS:DARK	20	2.70%

Non-moving traffic stop reasons

There are heavy inconsistencies in Fresno PD’s classification of traffic stops as “non-moving.” Of the 10 most common offenses reported as reasons for non-moving traffic stops, six of them also appear in the 10 most common reasons for equipment-related stops, while two also appear in the list of most common reasons for moving stops.

Reasons for Non-moving Traffic Stops by Fresno PD (2022)
Traffic Violation	# of Times Recorded	% of Total Non-moving Traffic Stops
NO REG:VEH/TRAILER/ETC	271	66.75%
NO REG:VEH/TRAILER/ETC	31	7.64%
OPR VEH:WINDOW OBSTRUCTED	28	6.90%
EXPIRED TABS/FAIL DISPLAY	24	5.91%
UNLAW DIRCT DRV OPR/HWY	8	1.97%
USE CELLPH W/DRIV W/O HFD	7	1.72%
PED AGAINST NO WALK SIGN	4	0.99%
DISPLAY LIC PLATES WRONG	4	0.99%
SHO ON VEH/GIV PO FLS DOC	3	0.74%
UNREG CA BASED VEHICLE	3	0.74%

Moving traffic stop reasons

Of the 3,876 moving vehicles stopped for suspected traffic violations by Fresno PD in 2022, over three-quarters were stopped for speeding.

Reasons for Moving Traffic Stops by Fresno PD (2022)
Traffic Violation	# of Times Recorded	% of Total Moving Traffic Stops
UNSAFE SPEED:PREVAIL COND	3,027	78.10%
USE CELLPH W/DRIV W/O HFD	159	4.10%
NO HND HLD DEVICE W/DRIVE	142	3.66%
FAIL STOP LINE/ETC AT RED	74	1.91%
DRIVER FAIL OBEY SIGN/ETC	69	1.78%
FAIL STOP VEH:XWALK/ETC	67	1.73%
SEATBELT VIOLATION	39	1.01%
PED FAIL OBEY TRAFIC SIGN	14	0.36%
UNSAF TURN &/OR NO SIGNAL	14	0.36%
EXCEED SPEED ON HIGHWAY	14	0.36%

Traffic stops by result of stop {traffic-result}

Across all three types of officer-initiated traffic stops (Equipment, Moving, Non-moving), a citation for infraction is the most common stop result, while a Warning verbal or written is within the top three most common stop results across all traffic stops.

The graph below shows, across all traffic stop types (moving, equipment, non-moving), what percentage of stops resulted in a citation for infraction, in-field cite and release, or warning verbal or written across each perceived race group.

Note that the graphs filter out perceived racial groups where less than 10 people were stopped in traffic in 2022.

Despite being stopped at higher rates than over perceived groups, people Fresno PD perceives as Latinx and Black are stopped in traffic resulting only in a warning verbal or written at higher rates than people perceived as White.

Most common citations that resulted from traffic stop

Most Common Citations that resulted from an Officer-Initiated Traffic Stop
Offense Code	Offense Statute	Statute	Total	Count	Rate
54106	22350	UNSAFE SPEED:PREVAIL COND	5,843	3,022	51.7
54571	26708(A)(1)	OPR VEH:WINDOW OBSTRUCTED	5,843	414	7.1
54657	4000(A)(1)	NO REG:VEH/TRAILER/ETC	5,843	352	6.0
54107	12500(A)	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	5,843	350	6.0
54566	23123(A)	USE CELLPH W/DRIV W/O HFD	5,843	159	2.7
54655	23123.5(A)	NO HND HLD DEVICE W/DRIVE	5,843	145	2.5
54101	16028(A)	FAIL PROVE FIN RSP:PO REQ	5,843	128	2.2

Traffic stops resulting in citations by race and gender

People perceived as Latinx are stopped in traffic and given a citation as a result at the highest rates compared to all other groups. However, people perceived as Black are disproportionately stopped in traffic and given a citation relative to how many Black people live in Fresno city. Out of all people stopped in traffic and given a citation, 11.4% were people Fresno PD perceived as Black, yet Black people make up 6.2% of Fresno city’s total population.

The graph below gives more detail into traffic citations given as a result of a traffic stop. It shows the top 3 traffic citation results for perceived race.

Traffic stops resulting in driving without license citation

Across all officer-initiated traffic stops, non-moving traffic stops have the highest rates of stops that result in a citation for driving without a license.

Traffic Stops Resulting in Driving without License Citation by Stop Type
Traffic Violation Type	Statute	Total	Count	Rate
Non-moving	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	544	58	10.7
Equipment	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	921	58	6.3
Moving	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	4,378	240	5.5

People Fresno PD perceive as Latinx and Black are stopped in traffic and given a citation for driving without a license at higher rates than other groups. The percentage of people Fresno perceived as Black who were stopped and given a citation for driving without a license is disproportionately high relative to the percentage of Black people who live in Fresno city.

Traffic Stops Resulting in Driving without License Citation by Perceived Race
Race	Statute	Total	Count	Rate
Latinx	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	356	256	71.9
Black	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	356	44	12.4
White	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	356	40	11.2
Asian	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	356	9	2.5
SWANA/SA	DRIVE W/O LICENSE	356	7	2.0

Stop Results

Officer-initiated stops by stop result

Officer-Initiated Stops by Stop Result
Stop Result Simple	Count	Rate
citation for infraction	4,024	80.0
in field cite and release	477	9.5
warning verbal or written	370	7.4
Two or more results	77	1.5
no action	35	0.7
custodial arrest pursuant to outstanding warrant	26	0.5
custodial arrest without warrant	15	0.3
field interview card completed	2	0.0
psychiatric hold	2	0.0

Stops resulting in use of force

Out of all people stopped during an officer-initiated stop, 99.7% of people stopped were indicated as having no instances of any use of force used towards them (5,043 total people) while 0.33% of people stopped were indicated in the data as having instances of use of force used against them (17 people). All officer-initiated incidents of use of force inflicted by Fresno PD in 2022 occurred during traffic stops.

Use of Force by Stop Reason
reason	Traffic reason offense code	Statute	Total	Count	Rate
Traffic violation	54167	FAIL STOP VEH:XWALK/ETC	17	3	17.6
Traffic violation	54099	NO REG:VEH/TRAILER/ETC	17	2	11.8
Traffic violation	54330	PARKING/ETC VIO:SPEC CIRC	17	2	11.8
Traffic violation	54657	NO REG:VEH/TRAILER/ETC	17	2	11.8
Traffic violation	54098	FAIL STOP LINE/ETC AT RED	17	1	5.9
Traffic violation	54141	BIKE HEADLIGHT/ETC VIOL	17	1	5.9
Traffic violation	54178	UNSAFE LANE CHANGE/ETC	17	1	5.9
Traffic violation	54211	LICENSE PLATE DISPLAY VIO	17	1	5.9
Traffic violation	54218	AIDE/ABET SPEED EXHIBITN	17	1	5.9
Traffic violation	54457	UNLAW DIRCT DRV OPR/HWY	17	1	5.9
Traffic violation	54644	DISPLAY LIC PLATES WRONG	17	1	5.9
Traffic violation	54655	NO HND HLD DEVICE W/DRIVE	17	1	5.9

Fresno PD disproportionately inflicted use of force towards people they perceived as Latinx men in 2022. Additionally, 18% of use of force incidents were towards people perceived as Asian despite Asian people only making up ~13% of Fresno’s total population.

Use of Force by Perceived Race and Gender
Perceived Race	Perceived Gender	Rate
Latinx	Male	0.5
Asian	Male	0.2
Latinx	Female	0.1
White	Male	0.1
SSWANA	Male	0.1
White	Female	0.1

Stops resulting in a field interview (FI) card

Two officer-initiated stops by Fresno PD in 2022 resulted solely in a field interview card being completed. A total of four people were stopped and given FI cards during an officer-initiated stop. All four FI cards were given to people during traffic stops.

Every individual that Fresno PD stopped and completed FI cards for in 2022 was perceived by officers as Black or Latinx. Officers also perceived three of these individuals as male and one as female.

Stops resulting in referral to US Department of Homeland Security ICE

Fresno PD reported that only one of their stops in 2022 resulted in a person being referred to ICE. The one individual referred to ICE by Fresno PD in 2022 was stopped for a traffic violation.

The one individual referred to ICE by Fresno PD in 2022 was perceived by officers as a Latinx male.

Stops that resulted in a search that resulted in no contraband

Time spent

The following analyzes the total and percent of time Fresno PD spent on certain stops to explore potential waste in public resources. We focus on officer-initiated stops. Overall, Fresno PD spent about 74.1% of their stop time on officer-initiated stops though stops for calls for service on average took longer (56 minutes on average per call for service stop compared to 9 minutes on average for officer-initiated).

Time spent on stops by stop reason

In 2022, Fresno PD spent nearly 98% of their stop time on stops originally made for traffic violations. While each of these stops took less time on average compared to other stop types, they made up the largest share of Fresno PD’s time.

Time spent on traffic stops by stop result

The large majority of time spent on traffic stops is spent on stops only resulting in a citation for infraction. Nearly 73% of minutes Fresno PD spent on traffic stops were on stops resulting in a citation for infraction. On average, each of these stops only takes 8 minutes.

Time spent on traffic stops by race

On average, Fresno PD spent slightly longer on traffic stops of Black and Latinx people (about 1 minute longer looking at the median time or quartile 3 time). Quartile 1 represents the 25th percentile of stop duration, meaning that 25% stops in that racial group took less than that specified time. Quartile 3 represents the 75th percentile of stop duration, meaning that 75% stops in that racial group took less than that specified time.

Stops of White individuals in Fresno only took 1 in 4 minutes of Fresno PD’s stop time on traffic violations.

Fresno RIPA Data Project

Descriptive Analysis

Catalyst California

22 August, 2024